Active control experiments on a herringbone ribbed cable dome

Abstract

Active control experiments on a newly proposed herringbone ribbed cable dome are described in this study. The cables of the dome are designed to have the ability to change length in order to adjust the geometrical configuration and the force distribution of the structure. Thereby, the dome is adaptable to different load cases. To begin with, for achieving the control amount for the active control test, an active control algorithm based on a nonlinear force method is presented. Then, an assembly and pre-stressing procedure is implemented. Active adjustment tests on three possible types of adjustable cables are performed to provide a practical method for the following active control test. The active control test demonstrates the applicability of the active control algorithm to achieve both force control and shape control. The method can be used to prevent failure of the cable domes due to slackening of the ridge cables and excessive displacements of the central section of the cable dome. The experiments verify the proposed control algorithm and the feasibility of the cable dome to adapt to excessive full span load and maintain the integrity of the structure.